Once Upon a Hammond....

Where would we be in life without the Hammond Organ?


I'm pretty sure it makes just about every song 10 times better...

Birds...

So, today was one of those unbelievably sunny days with a piercing blue sky that is almost painful to look at. A day like this in the summer would be hot and miserable, but since it's the beginning of spring, it was just about perfect. I love studying outside on the grass on days like this. It's really nice to take breaks from reading and just stare up at the sky and think....

Today, during one of those breaks, I noticed a couple of birds circling overhead; two were hawks and two were seagulls. There was something wonderful about just watching them silently glide higher and higher above me. I could have watched them for hours if I had had the time. It made me realize just how great birds are; it's hard to image what the world would be like without them. I guess you don't miss what you've never had, but they are one of those things in life that makes everything just a bit more enjoyable. They're really remarkable creatures when you take the time to think about it. They're beautiful to watch, they're beautiful to listen to, and they always provide a constant stream of inspiration for us land-bound humans. They seem to be above the endless concerns that plague our society, yet they share the same space that we do. It just made me realize that, ultimately, we choose our worries. I think we can decide to look for the good in life, or we can choose to dwell on the bad. In any case, I'm really grateful for birds. They're a source of beauty that will always be there no matter what life throws our way. To me, that's an really comforting thought.


So coming back and re-reading this post almost made me gag. It's so frustrating trying to put thoughts into words without it sounding super corny. I guess sometimes my thoughts are just cheesy, but I'm convinced there's a better way to express them. I'll figure it out eventually.  It's tempting to delete this whole thing... but I think I'll keep it as a reminder of what NOT to do in the future

Easter...

I really love this song.... a lot, so I thought Easter time would be the perfect time to share it.

I know it's a song we're all really familiar with, but I feel like most people don't appreciate it as much as they could. My theory is that they just haven't heard the lyrics; the words are the thing that really make this song meaningful to me....

Here are the original German words for those of you who are multilingual (or pretend to be, like I do):

Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
Meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
Er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
Meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
Meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
Darum lass ich Jesum nicht
Aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.

And here's the English translation. It doesn't come close to doing it justice, but it gets the point across:

Jesus shall remain my gladness,
Essence of my heart, its hope;
Jesus from all grief protecteth,
He is of my life its strength,
Of mine eyes the sun and pleasure,
Of my soul the joy and treasure;
Therefore I will Jesus not
From my heart and sight allow.

Bach is a pretty much a master, and he's definitely one of my favorite composers. Check out the rest of "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben" if you get a chance. This one's from the 10th movement, but the rest of it is easily just as good. 

Happy Easter!!!!

Ahhhh.... Poetry

Sometimes poems get stuck in my head.... this is one of those poems.

As creepy as William Blake is, he has some good stuff.